Tehemton Erach Udwadia (15 July 1934 – 7 January 2023) was an Indian surgeon and gastroenterologist, considered by many as the father of

laparoscopic surgery Laparoscopy () is an operation performed in the abdomen or pelvis using small incisions (usually 0.5–1.5 cm) with the aid of a camera. The laparoscope aids diagnosis or therapeutic interventions with a few small cuts in the abdomen.Medl ...

in India. He was a general surgeon at two

Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...

hospitals, Breach Candy Hospital and

Hinduja Hospital The P. D. Hinduja National Hospital and Medical Research Centre is a multi-specialty, tertiary-care hospital in Mumbai, India. It was founded in 1951 by Parmanand Deepchand Hinduja, in collaboration with the Massachusetts General Hospital, the ...

and was the founder president of the Indian Association of Gastrointestinal Endo-Surgeons. The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian honour of the

Padma Shri Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, ...

, in 2006 and the third highest civilian honour of the

Padma Bhushan The Padma Bhushan is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, preceded by the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan and followed by the Padma Shri. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is given for "distinguished service ...

in 2017 for his contributions to Indian medicine.

Biography

Born in a Parsi family originating from

Udvada Udvada is a town situated in Pardi taluka in the Valsad district in the state of Gujarat, India. Udvada is a coastal town located around 24 km from the Valsad city. The Zoroastrian temple, Udvada Atash Behram is situated here. Etymology T ...

to Erach Rustomji and Perin Erach on 15 July 1934 in

, the capital city of the western Indian state of

Maharashtra Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a states and union territories of India, state in the western India, western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the List of states and union te ...

, Udwadia did his early education at St. Mary's School, Mumbai and

Wilson College, Mumbai The Wilson College, established in 1832 in Mumbai, is one of India's oldest colleges; its foundation precedes that of the University of Mumbai, to which it is affiliated, by 25 years. Wilson College was granted autonomy by Mumbai University in ...

. He graduated in medicine from

Mumbai University The University of Mumbai is a collegiate, state-owned, public research university in Mumbai. The University of Mumbai is one of the largest universities in the world. , the university had 711 affiliated colleges. Ratan Tata is the appointed ...

and started his career as a research fellow at the

King Edward Memorial Hospital and Seth Gordhandas Sunderdas Medical College King Edward (VII) Memorial Hospital and Seth Gordhandas Sunderdas Medical College, located in Mumbai, is one of the foremost teaching and medical care providing institution in India. It was founded in 1926; it is affiliated with Maharashtra Un ...

in 1958, where he stayed till 1962. During this period, he studied for the postgraduate degree (MS) at the same institution, securing it in 1960. Moving to

Grant Medical College and Sir Jamshedjee Jeejeebhoy Group of Hospitals The Grant Government Medical College, Mumbai, is a public medical college, affiliated to the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences. Founded in 1845, it is one of the oldest institutions teaching medicine in South Asia. Its clinical affil ...

in 1963, he worked there till 1994 till his superannuation and continued his association with the institution as an emeritus professor. In between, he also worked as a Hunterian Professor of the

Royal College of Surgeons of England The Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England) is an independent professional body and registered charity that promotes and advances standards of surgical care for patients, and regulates surgery and dentistry in England and Wales. The ...

during 1984–85 and Sir James Ross Lecturer at the

Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) is a professional organisation of surgeons. The College has seven active faculties, covering a broad spectrum of surgical, dental, and other medical practices. Its main campus is located on ...

in 1992. Udwadia was the founder president of the Indian Association of Gastrointestinal Endo-Surgeons and presided over the association from 1993 to 1998. He has served as the president of the Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy of India, Association of Surgeons of India and the Society of Endoscopic and Laparoscopic Surgeons of Asia. He has been the president of the Indian chapter and the World body of the

International College of Surgeons The International College of Surgeons (ICS) is a global organization dedicated to promoting excellence of surgeons and surgical specialists worldwide. It was founded in 1935 by Max Thorek and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. ICS works thou ...

. He has published over 90 articles in peer reviewed journals and is the author of two books, ''Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy'' and ''Laparoscopic Surgery in Developing Countries''. Udwadia received the SAGES Millennium Award from the Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons in 2000. The same year, he was awarded the Dr. B. C. Roy Award, the highest Indian award in the medical category, from the

Medical Council of India The Medical Council of India (MCI) was a statutory body for establishing uniform and high standards of medical education in India until its dissolution on 25 September 2020 when it was replaced by National Medical Commission. The Council grante ...

. The Indian Association of Gastrointestinal Endo-Surgeons awarded him the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004. In 2006 he was awarded the civilian award of the

from the Government of India Udwadia died on 7 January 2023, at the age of 88.

Biography

References

Further reading